Car seal



G. W. CHAMPLIN.

CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I7, 1921.

Patented J1me 27, 1922.

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CHARLES W. CHAMPLIN, OF CEDAR FALLS, IOWA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO SE'WARD HIGBY, OF CEDAR FALLS, IOWA.

GAR SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1922.

Application filed February 1?, 1921. Serial No. 445,709.

Blackhawk County, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Seals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-seals, and the object of my improvement is to furnish a cheap, easily operated, single-piece device of this-class, whose parts are shaped to terminally interlock in such a manner that the device cannot have its interlocked parts separated to release the device without breaking the seal.

This object I- have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a full-size plan of my improved car-sealing device as spread out in one plane; Fig. 2 is-a fragmentary plan of the pocket end of the device showing the parts and tabs thereof partially folded together to provide a V-shaped terminal pocket; Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, are similar views, partially inside elevation and partially in section. with parts broken away, showing different stages of insertion and interlocking of the orificed end of the device in the pocketed end thereof; and Fig. 7 is a plan view, with parts broken away, showing the orificed end of the device inserted in the pocketed end thereof, with the latter completely folded in its final shape.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

To obviate the expense and inconvenience incident to the use of a car-sealing device composed of a plurality of different parts or elements, I have contrived my improved device to be shaped from a single piece of flat resilient metal 1 of elongated shape having a rectangular opening 2 at one end. The opposite end of the strip, which may be made of tinned iron or other suitable metal or material, is shaped with certain projecting parts on opposite sides and at the end thereof, adapted to be bent and folded together in certain relations to each other to provide a V-shaped pocket 34, these numerals also indicating like rectangular and connected integral parts in alinement of the elongated strip 1. A terminal tongue 5 prominally, and is preferably somewhat V- shaped'or of gradually diminished width. The terminal part of this tongue or tab 5 is transversely bent about midway, as indicated by the dotted lines to provide the recurved or'inwardly bent terminal 6. From opposite sides of the parts 3 and 4 extend integral flaps 8 and 7 respectively of the same triangular shape and dimension but,

' jects in alinementfrom said end-part 4 terreversed in position, and adaptedto be bent away from the parts 3 and 4 along the longitudinal dotted line shown in Fig. l. The triangular flaps 8 only, possess integral tabs 9 of rectangular or oblong form, which extend on opposite sides of the strip 1 parallel.

thereto and cut away therefrom as far as the flaps 8. The parts 3 and 4 are preferably indented to provide shallow depressions l0 and 11 respectively thereon placed intermediate their ends.

The above described parts and appendages may be folded together to provide the V-shaped and enclosed pocket 34 which is shown completed in Fig.7.

completed. The strip part 4 is bent over to be spaced from the part 3 in V-shape with the depressions 10 and 11 opening on the inner walls of these parts. The triangular flaps 7 are then folded over to cover the side openings between the parts 3 and 4 after the tongue 5 has been bent to extend downwardly into the pocket, the terminal part 6 having been previously bent over inwardly upon the part 5. This disposition of the parts is also shown in Fig. 3, in which flaps 7 and 8 on one side have been removed in order to better disclose the interior of the pocket 34. It will be seen that initially, the resilent parts 6 and 5 spring apart in such a manner that-the tip of the part 6 rests in the shallow depression 11 releasably, while the bend or elbow between the parts 5 and 6 rests releasably in the oppositely positioned shallow depression 10.

In order to interlock the orificed opposite end of the strip 1 with the tongue parts 5 and 6 and the inner wall of said pocket, the strip 1, after traversing a staple on a car door or jamb in the usual way, may be bent double upon itself and its orificed end passed through the narrow slit adjacent the strip left after the tabs 9 have-been folded over each other and soldered upon the side parts In Fig. 2, the, operation of such folding is shown partially 8. As shown in Fig. 3, the tip will contact slidingly with the upper sloping face of the part 5. Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive have the tabs 9 left unfastened for the sake of clearness, but the ensuing operation always takes place after the tabs are soldered down to form a closed box except for the narrow slit left adjacent the strip part 3.

When the orificed end, as in Fig. l, is pushed down to slide past the elbow of the part 5, the parts 5 6 react to thrust the el bow through the opening 2, and as the orificed terminal is pushed still farther the part 6 slips completely through the opening 2.

This is shown in Fig. 5, and when the orificed terminal is then moved backward or upwardly, its open loop 2 rides over the up ward ly bent tip of the part 6, and is received between the parts 5 and 6. This interlocks the looped terminal with said parts, as in F ig. 6, and these parts tend to spring apart and contact at their ends with the walls of the pocket, so that the looped end 2 cannot escape.

As the pocket has been closely fastened together in its parts by soldering or other fastening-means, the looped part 2- cannot be removed from the pocket without breaking one or the other thus disclosing the tampering to which it has been subjected. The seal can thus be used but once, and proves to be not susceptible to removal from the staple without irreparable breakage.

Having described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described, consisting of a resilient strip having in one end an opening, the other end being shaped and folded to provide a V-shaped pocket with longitudinally positioned overlapped and sealed side tabs which provide a narrow mouth next the strip and having a tab bent upon itself located within the pocket, the first-mentioned end of the strip being adapted to enter said slit to spring the elbow of said tab through its opening, and then to permit the finial of the tab to pass through said opening, with the end of the strip then received in the elbow of the tab and interlocked therewith.

2. A device of the character described, consisting of a resilient strip having in one end an opening, the other end being shaped and formed into a closed V-shaped pocket with end projections on each side overlapped across its mouth and permanently fastened together leaving a narrow slit therein adjacent the strip, the said pocket having an enclosed medially-bent tab, and having in the opposite walls which converge downwardly slight depressions into which the elbow and terminal of said tab resiliently and releasably spring engagingly, the first-mentioned end of the strip when introduced into the pocket downwardly through said slit pushing the elbow of the tab from one depression, passing it and then allowing the elbow to pass with the tip through its opening, the said strip end when moved reversely pushing the tab terminal from the other de pression, and entering the inner angle of said elbow interlockingly with the tab and the pocket.

Signed at Vaterloo, Iowa, this 18th day of Jan, 1921.

CHARLES W. OHAMPLIN. 

